


Claws and Hands

by hollysoda



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: A lot of characters are werewolves, Blood, Gore, Inaccurate language for the time period, M/M, Slow Burn, Werewolf!Hop, Werewolves, idk what else to tag, werewolf x hunter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27702536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollysoda/pseuds/hollysoda
Summary: As monsters grow more common amongst the trees, the need to hunt down the largest beasts became irresistible to the people of Wedgehurst. Especially for Bede, who is tasked with taking down a young werewolf in order to impress the man who took him in from the orphanage.
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Hop
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT STUFF:  
> Firstly, the language is in no way accurate to that of the time period (between the 1600’s and 1800’s). I’m writing this for fun and didn’t want to go through the hassle of researching how to speak ye olde English-  
> Secondly, these chapters will be short so I can actually stay committed to this. It would be nice to finish at least one fic in my life ;-;. So uh if this chapter seems rushed it’s because it’s more of a introduction but enjoy anyways ig shdhdj

Every town is known for something. Maybe it’s their bountiful harvests, their grand cobblestone buildings or their ports bustling with traders. Unfortunately for Wedgehurst, they were famous for something everyone feared.

Werewolves.

They lurked amongst the misty trees that encircled the innocent town. They attacked anyone and anything that entered their territory, leaving pools of blood and smashed bones in their wake. Their howls sent shivers down the spines of the mightiest of heroes and had done for decades. Only recently had the townsfolk decided to act upon the menace, their hatred united by a group of travelling hunters.

Cosmos Hunters they called themselves. Led by a man named Rose, they promised to chase the wolves away from Wedgehurst, allowing the forest to be used for foraging and hunting like before. They’d been mostly successful, prominent wolf packs were gradually shot down, which earned them pure respect from the locals and admiration from aspiring monster hunters.

One of these aspiring hunters was Bede. A boy of 14 years whose parents were slain by the claws of a beast. Although he was young, Rose had taken an interest in the boy; he shared the same burning desire to slaughter every werewolf in the forest, guided by the need for vengeance. Rose took Bede under his wing in the hopes of creating a new generation of werewolf hunters.

The all too familiar walls towered high above Bede. His footsteps echoed around yet the man sitting at the dark oak desk didn’t lift his head. However, acknowledged his presence with a quick, “Take a seat, Bede.”

As instructed, Bede hurried over to the stool in front of the desk and sat down. “You wanted to speak with me, sir?” No matter how many times he sat in this spot his hands itched with anxiety. It was probably the gaping jaws of the decapitated wolf head hanging over the desk

Rose placed his quill into the brass inkwell. “Yes, yes I did. How many years has it been now?” He asked, leaning back into his chair with a calm expression

“4 years, sir.”

“4 years? Yes that should be enough time.” His eyes gazed off into the distance

“Enough time for what, sir?” Bede questioned, not quite catching onto his intentions

His eyes snapped back to the white haired boy seated before him. “Enough time for you to be prepared for your first solo hunt.” A smile tugged at his lips.

Like a flint scraping over steel, Bede’s eyes lit up with lilac fire. “Really?” He blurted out with sudden excitement. “Of course it’s been enough time! I’ve learnt all there is to know about werewolf hunting under your watchful eye, I won’t-”

Rose raised his hand and Bede instantly stopped mid-sentence. “I understand your excitement, young Bede, but this is serious business.” He reminded the boy.

Bede flushed red, visibly sinking into his shoulders. “Sorry, sir.” He murmured.

Letting out a sigh, Rose pushed a parchment in front of him towards Bede. “Here, your first werewolf. He’s only young, so this shouldn’t be too difficult for someone of your talents.”

Bede took it into his hands, reading over the details.

__

_Wanted werewolf  
Name: Hop  
Age: 14  
Sex: Male  
Months since disappearance: 2  
Disappeared a few months after his brothers ‘death’. Townsfolk have reported seeing him near the farm stalking the sheep  
Golden eyes, dark purple hair, torn up white shirt. Wolf form is unknown and power is unknown._

“Don’t worry about the last line. He’s just a whelp, I doubt he’ll put up much of a fight.” Rose was now standing behind Bede, one of his hands resting on the boy's boney shoulders.

Bede’s eyes focused on every detail of the text, burning a vague image of this beastly boy hunting down sheep in his mind. He’d never met ‘Hop’ yet those golden eyes were already intimidating him. No, he couldn’t be intimidated. Like Rose said, he was a whelp, a newly bitten werewolf who hadn’t gained control of their curse. A beast who still had some form of humanity in them. This would be easy. “I won’t let you down, sir! I’ll bring back his head as proof!”

Rose chuckled at his enthusiasm. “Of course you will. But first,” he turned to a tall cabinet beside the desk, opening the door to reveal a display of mounted weapons. Swords, daggers, bows and crossbows. Rose took one of the crossbows, made from dark wood with a silver tipped handle, as well as a few bolts. “You’ll need a proper weapon to end his miserable life. I trust you know how to use one.”

Bede eagerly nodded, taking the weapon from Rose, it fitted perfectly in his palms. Biting his lip in concentration, he grabbed a bolt, slotted it in, pulled back the lever and released, shooting the wolf head in the snout.

“Impressive!” Rose praised, patting Bede’s back. “I knew that Peony was the best mentor for you, it’s such a shame that he left before your first hunt.” There was subtle regret in his voice. Peony never enjoyed werewolf hunting. The only reason he came along was because Rose promised the reward would be grand. Gradually the stress of killing those who were once human got the best of him. A heated argument between the two brothers led to Peony leaving, never to return. Bede remembered the betrayal that ate at his heart that day; Peony taught him almost everything he knew and turned out to be weak.

“Anyways, I’d recommend you head to bed now. You’ll need to be up early tomorrow if you are the beast in the act.” Rose instructed as he returned to his chair, taking the bolt out of the wolf head on his way. “Oleana will make sure of it.”

Bede nodded, a smirk tugging at his lips as he rose from his chair. “Of course, I promise I’ll return tomorrow with a prize.” He would make sure of it. Even if he had to stay out in the forest all night to find this boy it would be worth it. Anything to please the boss. Anything to receive an ounce of praise from him.

“I know you will, Bede. That will be all and good luck.” With a wave of his hand he excused the boy.

Bede left the room with a spring in his step. He’d begged and begged for a solo for months. Usually he just followed the more experienced hunters, carrying equipment and the proof Rose needed to know that the monster was dead. Now, he had his own victim. Although he would’ve preferred more of a challenge it was better than nothing. Did Rose think he was incapable of taking on an older werewolf? Hopefully after he proved his abilities in the field he’d give him a larger target.

As soon as he stepped out of the tall oak doors a chilling breeze caused him to wrap his cloak tightly around his slim body. Autumn was in full swing and Winter just around the corner. Now was not the time for a werewolf to be preying on the sheep. Any loss of livestock would be devastating. Bede suddenly felt the weight of this mission on his shoulders. Yes, it was a young werewolf and yes he couldn’t control his powers but if he failed Winter would be harsh. He shook the thought off and made his way to his room; a tiny house built for him so he wouldn’t have to share a room with the other hunters.

The furniture inside was simple. A small bed in with neatly tucked in sheets in one corner, a chest full of clothes and trinkets he’d collected during his time with Rose, and a rusty coat hanger near the door. On the back wall was a window which you could barely see and next to it was a single candle holder. It wasn’t perfect but it was enough. The room in the orphanage was worse.

Bede kicked off his boots, leaving them near the door, and hung up his cloak before collapsing onto his bed. His mind ran wild with fantasies about the next day; tracking down the werewolf, loading the precious crossbow with a silver bolt, shooting it directly into the beast's heart and watching as its life drained out through the wound. Gruesome, yes, but he’d adjusted to the sight. He also began to think about what this boy looked like. He’d never actually seen a young werewolf before. Most of them were adult men with metre long hair, thick beards and scars patterning their limbs. Their wolf forms were muscular and frankly terrifying when enraged. This was a boy his age. 

Had he been attacked by a werewolf and bitten? No, he would’ve been killed. It must’ve been a purposeful bite. Didn’t the paper say he had a missing brother? Maybe he had something to do with it…

Bede rolled onto his side, staring blankly at the wall. He should probably stop thinking, there was no way he was going to get some sleep at this rate. Peony always told him that overthinking a hunt was the worst thing to do - though he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to trust his advice anymore. He was gradually lulled to sleep by the gentle light of his candle, eyelids growing heavier until they forced his eyes to close. The sound of the wind whistling through the cracks faded out as the darkness of sleep overcame him


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I wanted to title this chapter it would be ‘I am very bad at pacing’

The sun had barely risen, it’s rays shooting through the trees and casting grand shadows across the forest. Morning dew dotted the leaves and cobwebs, sparkling like jewels whenever the light caught in the small droplets of water. The sound of early bird songs danced in the cool air. For a forest infested with danger, it was peaceful.

Twigs and dark brown leaves crunched under Bede’s boots. He’d left the hunters outpost with confidence, waking up especially early to prove his eagerness to Oleana who only scolded him for not getting enough sleep, yet as he trekked further into the forest he could feel his hidden anxiety settling in. A werewolf could show up at any moment, whether it was Hop or not would determine if he could survive a sudden attack. His crossbow was poised in front of him, a bolt sitting in the slot ready to be drawn back if that scenario became a reality. He only had five bolts. The smartest choice would’ve been to ask Rose for more but he promised to take the wolf down in one shot, pride getting in the way of logical thinking.

A shaky sigh escaped his lips. He was overthinking again. “It’s just a whelp. It’ll be easy.” He reminded himself.

It felt like he’d been walking for hours when he finally found a sign of werewolf activity. The remains of a deer. The crisp morning air was replaced by the foul scent of rotting meat as Bede approached it, nose wrinkling in disgust. This was definitely a werewolf’s meal. The rib cage had been shattered by a powerful claw and almost all of the flesh had been torn off, leaving only the fur on the head and lower legs. The flies hadn’t yet nestled into the remaining skin, the deer hadn’t been killed long ago. Whoever feasted on this corpse wasn’t too far away.

Bede prayed that this wasn’t the work of his target. Only an adult werewolf with knives for claws could smash bones in such a way after all. Grip tightening on the crossbow, he continued to search as the morning dragged on.

The forest grew denser. A thick canopy of leaves blocked the sunlight, the bushes invaded the natural path he attempted to follow and the birds were eerily quiet. So quiet that he could hear his own breathing. Hardly anyone entered these parts, Bede could tell why. It was as though life around him had stopped. The perfect place for something to leap out and rip him apart, maybe he should find somewhere else to look. Just as he went to turn back, he heard a voice.

“Oh hey there friend, are you lost?”

Bede immediately turned towards the source, heart thumping in his chest as the adrenaline kicked in. Was it speaking to him? Did he dare to answer? The voice was clearly masculine and young yet gentle.

“There’s no need to be afraid, I promise I won’t hurt you!” It spoke again

I’m fine, I don’t need your help. Bede was tempted to reply, curious to know who this mysterious person was. What were they doing out here? Were they a threat? Watching every step, he crept closer to the voice.

“Here, I found some nuts earlier, you can have some if you want?”

They weren’t talking to him after all. They were unaware of his presence. Good, he could see who they were and be on his way. Pushing the branches of a bush to the side, he finally found them, nearly dropping his crossbow in shock. It was a young boy, roughly around his age by the looks of things, with dark purple hair and honey-coloured eyes. His clothes were torn up and feet caked in mud, clearly he’d been in these woods for a very long time. However, as Bede inspected this boy more he realised something peculiar about him. Unusually long hair covered his arms and his ears were pointed. His heart seemed to stop when he realised.

This wasn’t a human being. This was a werewolf. His target werewolf.

He was kneeling in front of a baby squirrel who eagerly nibbled at the pile of nuts laid down by the wolf. A small grin allowed his sharp fangs to poke over his lips.

This was perfect! Bede had a clear shot at the werewolf, able to guide the bolt through its skull, giving the beast a quick death. He lifted up his crossbow, eyes narrowing in concentration, ignoring the voice of the werewolf as he continued talking to the squirrel. Yet he couldn’t aim it. His hands were shaking. Bede scowled in annoyance. He was a master at using the crossbow, never missing a target during practice. Now, he struggled to focus on something only a few feet away. He shuffled further into the bush in a desperate attempt to get closer, regretting it as the branch he was holding back snapped in half.

The werewolf turned towards him, making eye contact with the boy hiding in the bush.

In panic, Bede released the trigger. The bolt hurtled towards the werewolf, only scratching the back of his neck before burrowing itself into a tree. There was a shocked silence, both boys staring at each other with blank expressions until the werewolf turned and ran off into the trees.

Bede didn’t have time to process his feelings. His legs dragged him through the bush, giving chase to the werewolf as he fumbled to slot another bolt in. The werewolf was much faster than him but he couldn’t lose him after missing such an easy shot.

He shot again. The bolt disappeared under the blanket of dead leaves

Bede’s chest felt tight with exhaustion. Every breath was a struggle as he tried to keep up with the others pace. Surely he would slow down eventually, right? Unfortunately not. Instead, the werewolf took a quick turn, leading Bede deeper into the forest. His cloak snagged on thorns as if they were pulling him back and the floor became infested with tree roots. Yet the werewolf maneuvered through the maze of plants with ease. Before he could disappear, Bede tried his best to reload his crossbow but the forest eventually defeated him. His foot caught a particularly large root jutting out of the ground, causing him to fall face-first into the dirt. The sound of feet thumping against the ground faded into the distance.

He didn’t move at first, winded by the sudden collision with the ground. When he managed to regain his strength he pushed himself, lavender eyes staring off into the bushes in disbelief. He missed. He let the werewolf go. After years of training and perfecting his skills he’d failed his first hunt. He’d failed Rose…

That thought alone made him choke back the sadness that began to seep onto his face. No, he’d have a second chance, he’d find the werewolf again and kill it for sure. He couldn’t let the boss down! Fists clenching, squeezing a wad of damp leaves between his fingers, he attempted to push himself up but as soon as he applied pressure to his ankle it sent a sharp spike of pain up his leg. Bede yelped, falling onto his face again. He turned to view the damage. From what he could see, it was only sprained, something he could only be slightly thankful for. After all, he was in the middle of one of the biggest forests around, completely unaware of his exact location, with werewolves lurking around every tree. Being unable to walk let alone run might be a problem.

Bede rolled over and sat up instead, taking off his boot to assess the damage done. Every time he touched his ankle it burned with pain. At least he was well hidden, nothing would be able to find him.

Just as his brain tried to convince him that he was safe, he heard footsteps again. His eyes widened in panic, searching around for his crossbow until-

He appeared again, cautiously peering around a tree, freezing momentarily when he spotted the human on the floor

Did this werewolf seriously just come looking for him? Was he asking to be shot? “What do you want?” He demanded, glaring at the other. Then he spotted his weapon. It was in front of the tree where the werewolf was; just out of his reach.

The werewolf’s weariness decreased when he realised. Yet he didn’t respond until he saw Bede’s foot. With a twitch of his nose, he replied. “You’re hurt.”

How the hell did he know?

“No I’m not!” Bede snapped back.

Despite his tone, the werewolf began to step forwards

Bede reached for his belt, pulling his knife out of its sheath and holding it out in front of him. “Stay back! I might not have my crossbow but I’m not afraid to throw this into your heart.” He threatened. There was no way he was trusting this beast. For all he knew, this could be a trick. A trick that would end up with a werewolf feasting on his corpse.

The werewolf’s expression held a mix of curiosity, hesitance and patience. It was as if Bede never said those words and it frustrated him.

“Did you hear me, mutt? Back off!” He made his words clear.

Yet he stepped closer. “I’m not trying to hurt you. I heard you fall earlier, I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Bede raised an eyebrow, gawking at his words. This werewolf had a goddamn death wish! “Well I’m sure you’ll be glad to know that I am perfectly fine and I don’t need the help of a tail-biter.” He responded, the grip on his knife growing tighter in an attempt to steady himself. “So go back to your pack and leave me alone.”

“Alone in this forest with an injured ankle?” The werewolf was persistent, almost as though he was mocking him now

Bede’s jaw hung low as his mind tried to think of a reply. He hated how this dog had a point. He couldn’t accept his help though. He refused to. It went against everything he stood for! Not to mention how Rose would react, he would already be in trouble for returning empty handed. The longer he pondered, his excessive pride began to fade. What other choice did he have? Limp all the way back with little defense or have someone beside him who could easily betray his trust. The thought of being lured towards a pack of hungry monsters plagued his decision, creating awful images in his mind. Then he reminded himself that this creature came back to him after he shot at it. Prey was supposed to run from the predator. Did he know something that he didn’t?

Eyes closing in defeat, he let his arm fall, knife now resting in his lap. “Alright, I’ll accept your help but if you take me anywhere else but town I’ll gut you where you stand.” He responded regretfully

The threat didn’t seem to bother the werewolf. He moved closer, holding out a dirty hand; with the sharp claws it was more like a paw. Bede muttered a curse before slipping his own hand into the werewolf’s. The palm was corse, probably from walking on all fours across rough terrain, and the mud gave it a rather unpleasant texture. He let it go as soon as he was back on his wobbly feet. “I’m Hop, by the way.”

 _I knew that already_. “Bede.” He introduced bluntly, refusing to return any show of kindness.

He grabbed his crossbow, slotting it onto his back, and held his boot under his arm. As if by instinct, Hop moved closer, reaching for Bede’s arm but before he had the chance the human stumbled out of the way. “I can walk perfectly fine, thank you” He snapped

Hop raised an eyebrow, then rolled his golden eyes. “If you insist.” With a shrug, he began to walk. “Come on, we can make it to town by early afternoon if we’re quick enough.” He disappeared through a bush.

Bede was left alone with his thoughts again, hesitating to follow. Well, if he died today at least he wouldn’t have to face Oleana’s wrath for being late. Taking a deep breath, he followed Hop through the bushes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh btw I’m taking a lot of inspiration from Anne Rice’s book The Wolf Gift for how werewolves work in this fic. I’d highly recommend reading it if you’re a werewolf lover like me


End file.
